In a time synchronous channel hopping (TSCH) network, such as that defined by IEEE 802.15.4e, network communication takes place within defined time slots so the nodes of the network are required to be synchronized with each other. Over time, two nodes, such as a node and its parent node, may drift apart due to specification tolerances in their electronics hardware. If the nodes use very accurate oscillators, then the drift may be small. However, at some point, the cumulative drift becomes so large that network stability and performance are adversely impacted or the network fails.